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Access over workers' compensation decisions, including En Banc, Significant Panel Decisions, and writ-denied cases.

Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Transcontinental Refrigerated Lines, Inc. v. Workers' Compensation Board

Transcontinental Refrigerated Lines, Inc. (TRL), a Pennsylvania common carrier, appealed decisions by the New York Workers' Compensation Board that denied its applications for redetermination of civil penalties. The penalties were imposed because TRL allegedly failed to secure New York workers' compensation insurance, despite having coverage in Pennsylvania. TRL contended that its interstate operations and Pennsylvania base exempted it from New York's requirements. The Board had relied on an earlier Workers’ Compensation Law Judge decision concerning an employee, Clarence Edick, which characterized TRL as a 'covered employer in NY.' The Appellate Division reversed the Board's decisions, concluding that TRL was entitled to a hearing to litigate the fundamental jurisdictional issue of its obligation under Workers' Compensation Law § 50, as the Edick proceeding did not definitively resolve this broader question.

Civil PenaltiesDue Process RightsJurisdictional DisputesInterstate EmployerInsurance ObligationAdministrative ReviewAppellate ProcedureRemand OrderStatutory ComplianceProcedural Safeguards
References
3
Case No. 526927
Regular Panel Decision
May 09, 2019

Matter of Curry v. Commissioner of N.Y. State Dept. of Motor Vehicles

In Matter of Curry v Commissioner of N.Y. State Dept. of Motor Vehicles, petitioner Joseph P. Curry appealed a judgment dismissing his CPLR article 78 petition. Curry's driver's license was revoked in 2012 due to a fifth alcohol-related driving offense. His 2017 application for relicensing and a hardship exception was denied by the Department of Motor Vehicles' Driver Improvement Bureau and affirmed by the Administrative Appeals Board. Curry challenged this denial as arbitrary and capricious, citing rehabilitation efforts and medical needs for a license. The Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed the Supreme Court's dismissal, finding the Commissioner's denial was not arbitrary or capricious given Curry's history of multiple relapses, traffic infractions, and an incomplete DWI evaluation, despite his claims of sobriety and medical appointments.

Driver's License RevocationAlcohol-Related OffensesHardship ExceptionCPLR article 78Administrative ReviewArbitrary and Capricious StandardDepartment of Motor VehiclesReissuance DiscretionRehabilitation EffortsMedical Limitations
References
4
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Tikhonova v. Ford Motor Co.

Plaintiff Svetlana Tikhonova suffered catastrophic injuries in a car accident involving a vehicle driven by Alexey Konovalov, a Russian diplomat immune from direct suit. Tikhonova subsequently filed a claim against Ford Motor Credit Company, the registered owner, and Ford Motor Company, the long-term lessee of the vehicle, under Vehicle and Traffic Law § 388 (1) for vicarious liability. The defendants argued that the driver's diplomatic immunity should shield them from liability, citing precedents from workers' compensation and volunteer firefighter cases. However, the court rejected this argument, asserting that there is no public policy rationale or statutory scheme that warrants extending diplomatic immunity to unrelated third parties. Consequently, the court reversed the lower court's decision, denied the defendants' motion for summary judgment, and reinstated the plaintiff's complaint.

Vicarious LiabilityDiplomatic ImmunityVehicle and Traffic Law § 388Car Owner LiabilityMotor Vehicle AccidentStatutory InterpretationAppellate ReviewPublic PolicyWorkers' Compensation PrecedentFederal Drivers Act
References
17
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Claim of Pawlak v. Ford Motor Co.

An assembly line worker, whose initial claim for a back injury in April 2000 was established, sought additional workers' compensation benefits for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and a neck injury, and reimbursement for back surgery performed in December 2000. The Workers' Compensation Board disallowed the additional claims, denied reimbursement for the surgery due to lack of authorization, and adjusted her compensation for the established back injury to reflect a moderate disability. On appeal, the court affirmed the Board's decision, finding the carpal tunnel claim untimely under Workers' Compensation Law § 28 and the neck injury claim improperly noticed under Workers' Compensation Law § 18, also lacking causal relation evidence. The court further agreed that proper authorization was not obtained for the back surgery as required by Workers' Compensation Law § 13-a (5) and 12 NYCRR 325-1.4. The appellate court concluded that substantial evidence supported the Board's decision in its entirety.

Workers' Compensation Law § 28Workers' Compensation Law § 18Workers' Compensation Law § 13-aBilateral Carpal Tunnel SyndromeBack InjuryNeck Injury ClaimUntimely ClaimLack of AuthorizationDisability RatingAppellate Division
References
4
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Fifth Avenue Coach Lines, Inc. v. Transport Workers of America, Local 100

Plaintiffs Fifth Avenue Coach Lines, Inc. and Surface Transit, Inc. sued Transport Workers of America, Local 100, Transport Workers of America, and Michael J. Quill for damages alleging a breach of collective bargaining agreements following a 1962 strike. The Union defendants moved for a stay of proceedings pending arbitration, arguing the dispute fell within the arbitration clauses of their agreements. Defendant Michael J. Quill moved to dismiss the action against him, contending that Section 301(a) of the Taft-Hartley Act does not permit actions against individual union officers. The court found the arbitration clauses sufficiently broad to cover the strike issue and granted the stay of proceedings. Additionally, the court granted Quill's motion to dismiss, citing Supreme Court precedent that such actions are against the union, not its president.

ArbitrationCollective Bargaining AgreementStrikeTaft-Hartley ActMotion to StayMotion to DismissUnion LiabilityIndividual LiabilityNo-Strike ClauseGrievance Procedure
References
4
Case No. 2025 NY Slip Op 06370 [243 AD3d 1087]
Regular Panel Decision
Nov 20, 2025

Matter of Rorapaugh v. New Penn Motor Express LLC

Claimant Sally Rorapaugh's spouse died in a work-related motor vehicle accident. She settled a third-party action for $5.9 million net, prompting the workers' compensation carrier to argue its consent was required and to discontinue payments. The Workers' Compensation Board found the carrier's consent unnecessary due to the settlement exceeding benefits and calculated a lien reduction, concluding the carrier owed claimant an additional $113,631.55. On appeal, the Appellate Division affirmed that carrier consent was not needed for the large settlement. However, it reversed the Board's lien reduction calculation, ruling the Board lacked jurisdiction to determine the equitable apportionment of legal expenses, which must be addressed by the court where the third-party action was filed. The case was remitted for further proceedings consistent with this decision.

Workers' CompensationThird-Party ActionSettlementCarrier ConsentLien ReductionEquitable ApportionmentJurisdictionMotor Vehicle AccidentStatutory AmountFuture Benefits
References
6
Case No. 2021 NY Slip Op 00612 [191 AD3d 1088]
Regular Panel Decision
Feb 04, 2021

Matter of Clancy v. Park Line Asphalt Maintenance

Celia Clancy, an office manager, filed a claim for workers' compensation benefits, asserting that her repetitive work activities for Park Line Asphalt Maintenance aggravated her pre-existing bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and herniated cervical discs, causing a disability. Although she had a history of these conditions and had received prior Social Security disability benefits and undergone multiple surgeries, she had returned to full duty work. The Workers' Compensation Board disallowed her claim, concluding that her conditions were not dormant and nondisabling prior to her employment with Park Line, thus precluding an occupational disease claim based on exacerbation. However, the Appellate Division, Third Department, reversed the Board's decision, finding no evidence that her pre-existing conditions were disabling in a compensation sense before the alleged disablement date. The matter was remitted to the Workers' Compensation Board for further proceedings consistent with the Appellate Division's determination.

Occupational DiseaseCarpal Tunnel SyndromeHerniated Cervical DiscsPre-existing ConditionAggravation of ConditionDormant and Nondisabling ConditionWorkers' Compensation BenefitsAppellate ReviewRemandOffice Manager
References
10
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Jan 06, 2003

Yanulavich v. Appeals Board of Administrative Adjudication Bureau of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles

The petitioner appealed the dismissal of his CPLR article 78 proceeding, which challenged the Department of Motor Vehicles' (DMV) revocation of his driver's license. The revocation stemmed from an incident where the petitioner, who reported vision issues due to diabetes, struck a flag person. After failing initial vision tests and subsequently passing with corrective lenses, the petitioner failed a road test, leading to the license revocation. The appellate court affirmed the lower court's decision, ruling that the DMV had reasonable grounds, based on the accident, the petitioner's statement, and his physician's report, to require a road test, thus supporting the revocation.

driver's licenselicense revocationvision impairmentdiabetesroad test failureadministrative appealCPLR Article 78Vehicle and Traffic Lawreasonable groundsmotor vehicle accident
References
2
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Japan Air Lines Co. v. International Ass'n of MacHinists & Aerospace Workers

Japan Air Lines Company, Ltd. (JAL) initiated this action against the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO (IAM), its collective bargaining representative, seeking to enjoin a potential strike. JAL contended that the IAM's insistence on changes to the 'Scope' clause, which aimed to require JAL to employ its own personnel for work historically subcontracted, constituted a non-bargainable demand and violated the Railway Labor Act (RLA) duty to bargain in good faith. The court determined that the 'Scope' proposal was not a mandatory subject of bargaining as it pertained to fundamental management decisions and only indirectly impacted employee job security. Despite JAL's refusal to bargain on this specific issue, the court found that the IAM's overall conduct did not demonstrate a lack of sincere effort to reach an agreement on other issues. Consequently, JAL's motion for a preliminary injunction was denied, and the previously issued temporary restraining order was dissolved.

Collective BargainingScope ClauseSubcontractingInjunctionRailway Labor ActMandatory BargainingManagerial PrerogativeJob SecurityUnion DisputeStrike Action
References
19
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Local 553, Transport Workers Union v. Eastern Air Lines, Inc.

Plaintiff, Local 553, Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, sued defendant Eastern Air Lines, Inc., alleging violations of the Railway Labor Act. The dispute arose from Eastern's agreement to take over Braniff's Latin American routes and hire Braniff flight attendants, which the Union claimed breached their collective bargaining agreement's seniority clause. The Union argued this constituted a 'major' dispute under the RLA, requiring an injunction to preserve the status quo. The court analyzed whether the dispute was 'major' or 'minor,' the irreparable harm to the Union, and affirmative defenses raised by Eastern, including compliance with the Norris-LaGuardia Act and jurisdictional challenges. The court ultimately found the Union likely to succeed on the merits, established irreparable harm, and rejected Eastern's defenses, granting preliminary injunctive relief to the Union. Eastern was ordered to post flights for bid by seniority or compensate affected Union members.

Labor DisputeRailway Labor ActPreliminary InjunctionCollective Bargaining AgreementSeniority RightsStatus QuoAirline IndustryForeign NationalsInternational RoutesNorris-LaGuardia Act
References
38
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